BP4 QTR4 - Geography

Geography


Location: The island group of Fiji belongs to the Oceania Group of islands in the South Pacific and lies about two-thirds from Hawaii to New Zealand. The geographical coordinates of Fiji are 18 00 S, 175 00 E. 


Area: Fiji covers about 1.3 million square kilometers of the South Pacific Ocean. Fiji's total land area is 18,333 square kilometers. 


Area-Comparative: Comparatively, the area occupied by Fiji is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey.


Land Boundaries: 0 Km


Climate: tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation and nice warm weather throughout the year


Terrain: mostly mountains of volcanic origin


Natural Resources: timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower, & water


Land Use:
arable land: 10.95%
permanent crops: 4.65%
permanent pastures: land permanently used for herbaceous forage crops
forests and woodland: land under dense or open stands of trees
other: 84.4%


Environment-Current Issues: The most pressing and important environmental problems are
 deforestation; soil erosion


Environment-International Agreements: Party to : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 
Signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements 

Natural Hazards: cyclonic storms can occur from November to January

BP3 QTR4

Country Name: Conventional - Fiji;  Official - Republic of the Fiji Islands
 

Nationality:  Noun - Fiji Islander;  Adjective - Fiji or Fijian.
 

Languages: Fiji has three official languages and they are English, Bau Fijian and Hindustani but English is the main language of communication in Fiji.
 

Flag Description:

Fiji's flag flew for the first time on Independence Day, October 10, 1970. It includes the red, white and blue Union Flag of Britain in the top left-hand corner and the shield from the Fiji Coat of Arms on a light blue background in the fly. The design for the national flag was selected as the result of a competition won jointly by Mr. Robi Wilcock and Mrs. Murray MacKenzie.

 

Background: Fiji was first settled about three and a half thousand years ago. The original inhabitants are now called "Lapita people" after a distinctive type of fine pottery they produced, remnants of which have been found in practically all the islands of the Pacific, east of New Guinea, though not in eastern Polynesia. Linguistic evidence suggests that they came from northern or central Vanuatu, or possibly the eastern Solomons.

BP2QTR4: UN Quick Write

        The UN or United Nations is an organization that brings together 192 nations to help things such as human rights and other things of that nature. It started after WWII to replace The League of Nations which could not prevent the world war. The UN has the military power to carry out the decisions it makes. The charter was made as a set of rules that the member countries have to follow so they can work together successfully.
        The UN is completely necessary today because if we didn't have it then the uprise in the middle east might be a lot worse than it is. Also many of the worlds problems like hunger and other civilian problems like that. This world would definatly be a lot more problems than there are right now. For example if not for the UN the problems between Isrial and Palestine would be more extreme and more violent.
        Finally these are some of the plethora of reasons that the UN is completely necessary. The world needs the UN and would be a worse place without it. Especially with the current events going on in the middle east.

BP4 QTR3: President's Day

   I think that Presidents Day should stay as it is with the name it has right now. I think that this day should be for all presidents because the third Monday of February rarely falls on Washington’s actual birthday.  Also other presidents like FDR, JFK and Reagan can be celebrated on this same day in February.  Washington himself would not mind sharing this day with all other presidents.  He would actually rather have it that way since he turned down power three or four times before he became president.  Washington wanted to make sure that the presidency was much more than just the person holding the office so no one person could hold absolute power.

In a letter to George S. Washington on December 5, 1790, President Washington wrote “To point out the importance of circumspection in your conduct, it may be proper to observe that a good moral character is the first essential of man, and that the habits contracted at your age are generally indelible, and your conduct here may stamp your character through life. It is therefore highly important that you should endeavor not only to be learned but virtuous.”  Virtuous is something that Washington valued not only in himself but in others.  He viewed his role as president as one to serve others and believed that the people held all the power in the United States.  He did not like for people to celebrate or revere him as a great person and was very humble as president.  I think that he would feel the same way about this holiday and that it should be for all presidents and not just for himself.

When Daniel Webster spoke of Washington at Bunker Hill June 17, 1842 he said “To him who denies or doubts whether our fervid liberty can be combined with law, with order, with the security of property, with the pursuits and advancement of happiness; to him who denies that our forms of government are capable of producing exaltation of soul, and the passion of true glory; to him who denies that we have contributed any thing to the stock of great lessons and great examples; to all these I reply by pointing to Washington.”  This is how people who knew Washington remember him and his virtuous leadership example as President of the United States.  It is Washington’s own example of being a leader that served the people and an individual that disliked having all the power and attention that makes me think that he would prefer that President’s Day remain with its current name so that all 44 US presidents are recognized on the 3^rd Monday of February. 

Overall I think President’s Day is a good name for the holiday because it does not put all the attention on Washington which he would not have liked very much.  It is nice that the holiday remains in February so we can remember the month and celebrate President’s Day near the time of Washington’s birthday.  It is nice to remember the first president but from what Washington himself wrote and what others who knew him shared, he would probably request that all presidents get recognition on the same day for how they served their country. 

BP2 QTR3: Project Reflection

1. What is your final project going to be? What led you to choose this idea for your project?

    Our final project will be a video on goanimate.com for project #2. We put the script on a Google doc. We chose this because one group member had a lot of experience with it and because we all wanted to use it for the project.

2.How is the project unfolding for you?

   The project is unfolding for me pretty good. The script is going well and soon we will be applying it to the goanimate movie. We all know how to use goanimate now and we have already started to make the movie.

3. How are you gathering the required information?

    We are gathering the info required by searching on Google and reading what we find. We then put the answer on the Google doc mentioned in #1. From that we transfer it to the script in our own words.

 4. What's happening that you didn't expect? In other words, how has your project changed over time?

      Well for one i was sack three days this week and got to this post a little late and my teammates accidentally deleted a portion of the script.

BP 1 QTR3: T-Shirt Travels Reaction Paper

      This movie called T-shirt Travels was an extremely good film and was very educational. The film talked about how our old t-shirts that we donate end up being sold to Africa. Some of the things I will explain are what Zambians think of Americans, how all of the cloths deal with big money, and how the people of Zambia are doing in the present day. There are interesting ways that the Zambians think of us Americans.
       Lets start by saying that Zambians have mixed opinions about Americans. Businesses usually think that Americans only talk money, even if that is partly true we don't all talk about money(only the adults & rich kids talk about money). Other people think of the US as a good place because they just don't know any better. I am not saying that the US is a bad country but some situations here we would rather be elsewhere because we Americans think we live in a utopia and are the best in the world at everything, but most of the rest of the world knows that is not true.
       You may be wondering how lots of money ties into all of these common t-shirts. Well lets start by explaining the process of how they get to Africa. First we donate our old clothes to charities who then sell most of the donations to private businesses who mark them up by about 600% then sell the marked up clothes to Zambian shopkeepers who sell them to the Zambian public. Secondhand clothes are the number one from the US to Africa. In this process the private businesses make the most money. The reason that Zambia does not make its own clothes is because the rest of the world gives them cloths so it drove the local clothing stores out of business.
      We now come to how the people of Zambia are doing in the present day. The truth is that over 70,000 children are homeless and the life expectancy there is only 43 years old. These things prove how bad conditions are there. The main character in this movie named Luka feels grateful because he picks the clothes with pride and looks in each bundle to see the quality of the clothes. Some experts are worried that if Zambia ever recovers from debt that almost all of the work force will be uneducated because the schools are only for the rich now a days.
      That is the all of the things that one t-shirt goes through from when it is donated to when someone in Africa buys it and wears it. As you have seen the conditions in Zambia are not good. The private owners make the most money in the secondhand clothes business. Also what the Zambians think of us Americans. In conclusion this movie was a very educational and interesting movie called T-shirt Travels.

Current Events QTR 2 Week 8: Endangered Sea Turtles Head Home For Holidays

Endangered Sea Turtles Head Home For Holidays
More than a dozen endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles were scheduled to head home for the holidays. The 20 turtles were headed to SeaWorld in Orlando, Fla. Crews from the Massachusetts Audubon at Wellfleet Bay rescued the cold-stunned sea turtles within the past six weeks from beaches on Cape Cod after they were washed. The turtles are being rehabilitated right now and will be released into the Atlantic just in time to head home for the holidays.


I think that this is very good because Kemp's Ridley sea turtles are an endangered species. In the wild there are not as many as there used to be so saving them is almost always a good thing. The rehabilitation of these beautiful creatures because if they get injured in the wild they almost always die. In conclusion all of the saved sea turtles  will most likely live and that is a very good thing.

Current Events QTR 2 Week 6: Adopt sustainable practices

TUI Macuata Ratu Aisea Katonivere has urged people to adopt sustainable management strategies to help protect the marine environment. As a result World Fisheries day was December 1st, 2010. Ratu said Fiji was rich in marine diversity and that people should become proactive to protect the gift of nature for future generations. More than 100 people joined a march to mark the occasion.

 Of course this is good news because it is a whole day just for protecting the marine environment. Other good effects are that is helps preserve the serine beauty of Fiji's marine ecosystems.

Current Events QTR 2 Week 5: New Fisheries decree expected early next year

     In Fiji a new fisheries decree is expected in early 2011. The fisheries Pacific islands leader is doing this to protect even the restricted areas of Fiji's waters. They are also taking into account the modern aspects faced by the sector. Some non-government organizations are part of the review process too. In conclusion Fiji is decreeing an act for new fisheries.

     In my opinion this is good because it helps save some of the most beautiful places in Fiji. I am glad that the non-government is getting involved because they probably go boating every day for their jobs. This is good because they most likely know the waters better that anyone else.It is a good thing that they are taking into effect all of the modern factors because if not then who knows how much trouble they would be in they didn't do that. In conclusion for the most part I think this is a good thin and it will greatly benefit them in the long run

Current Events QTR 2 Week 3: Inquiry in Fiji over grocery price reductions

In Fiji prices for food are drastically being cut. Some of  the countries largest supermarkets removed important grocery items in protest at their price reduction. Many customers are fumed at this and are complaining about the removing of the products, because most of the products are essential items. The supermarkets are going to put the items back on the shelf but they say "the mandatory price reduction has made the items uneconomical to sell."

This in my opinion is not very good because the price is so low that if they sell a lot then their economic state will be horrible. That is bad because if that happens then their economy in Fiji will drastically go down and the entire country will probably have to raise the price maybe by 300% (but probably less). This in turn will affect the whole country and put it in a state that the US is in right now with debt and high prices. So in conclusion this drop in prices has grocers fumed and customers mad because some products are not being put on the shelves.

http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201011/3059601.htm?desktop

Current Events QTR 2 Week 1: Report of plot to remove Fiji leader

In Fiji Commodore Frank Bainimarama is saying the two have been told to take a holiday as they have accumulated substantial amount of leave days over the years.Late last year, there were moves to send Fiji's contingent of troops working for the United Nations in Iraq a new general. He was rejected for the position, with the UN citing accusations of human rights abuses. The army took power in December 2006. It was the fourth military coup in Fiji since 1987. However Commodore Frank Bainimarama subsequently declared himself interim prime minister of Fiji.

There are many reasons that i think this is bad. Personally I think that this is an example of poor leadership. This is bad for this country because is does not give them a good reputation. The country is basically falling apart piece by piece. All of this is not doing any good for Fiji and will not do any good for the future of this country.

current event week 7, Fiji to determine own destiny

The president of Fiji states that Fiji should control it's own future. He said that although Fiji is in hard times is still needs to have control over it's future. they have been criticized but they still are working to keep a well running government.

I think that this is good for Fiji to remain in control of it's future because if they remain in control then they will be better off. It will also give them more stability. This is why it is good for Fiji this week.

Current Events Week 6: Private press censorship in Fiji

Fiji's private press came under strict official censorship in April 2009. In 2010 they tightened media ownership requirements and provided for prison terms for journalists. The ownership rules threatened the Fiji Times, "the only newspaper that has resisted government control".Radio is a key for the outer islands. BBC World Service and FM Radio relays were shut down in the 2009 state of emergency.

I think that this will greatly affect Fiji's news sources. This is because Fiji is a small country and has 3 main sourses for news and about 1 of them is private news. That is why this will greatly affect Fiji's news sourses. In conclusion news censorship in Fiji will greatly affect the news in Fiji.

Current event #5

Some good news in Fiji is that Tropical Cyclone PAT is no longer a threat. Tropical Cyclone PAT formed earlier this week east of Fiji and was monitored by the NWFC. They confirmed yesterday that there was no threat from this cyclone to Fiji. Tropical Cyclone PAT posed no threat for Fiji as it headed towards French Polynesia yesterday. 

I think that it is good that it passed by them. That passing Fiji is good because a different cyclone hit them last year and they have still not recovered. The bad part is that it is still heading toward different islands.

current event #3

In the case of the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, huge amounts of Euros were required to turn an already fast car: 253 mph (the “standard” Veyron’s previous speed) into a car that can achieve 268 mph (the world record for the fastest production car). The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport set the record on July 3rd of this year at VW’s proving grounds at Ehra-Lessien in Germany. To begin, any similarities between the Bugatti Veyron and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport merely disguise the differences.

My opinion is that the Bugatti Veyron and the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport are two cars that are almost the same but one is 15mph faster. to me this is exiting because the world record for the fastest car in the world (excluding stock cars). I think it looks really cool because it is really aerodynamic.

current event #4

 A flying car you might think that its science fiction but next year it will probably be reality.The company Terrafuga, based in Woburn, Massachusetts says they plan to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2011. The Transition will be marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both. They say it eliminates the hassle trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports. You drive the car to the airport and then when you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive hangar fees because you don't have to store it at an airport — you park it in the garage at home.

I think that the flying car is amazing and is a good idea. However I would not drive it until they perfect the model. I would drive it after its perfected though. I also think that it needs more of a car look though. I agree with them, it is more of a plane that drives.

article #2 summary

Becoming a U.S. citizen can be confusing. You have to be at least 18 and have lived here for at least five years. Then you have to fill out a N-400 form. after that your fingerprints will be taker then you will be interveiwed. Finally your results will be sent to you.

i found this article at http://www.ehow.com/way_5681242_steps-u_s_-citizenship.html

opinion

My opinion on this spill is that it will probably be the worst environmental disaster in history. I think this is all because the U.S. is so dependent on oil. All because of oil dependency countless animals are covered in oil.
Now many people can not earn a living because many fish have died. These are just some of the horrible things that this oil spill has done to the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

summary

The oil problem is impacting the environment and people in many ways. "I don't see a future for us to catch fresh fish ever again," says a gulf fisherman. Images of oil covered birds are a reminder of how bad this oil has become. This problem has happened partly because the U.S. uses more oil than any other country. In conclusion this oil spill is affecting not only the environment, but the people and  economy as well